Control
by spray bottle
Summary: Jackson's frustrated that Lisa Reisert doesn't seem to care that he's come back into her life. JxL
1. Chapter 1

He had always been considered a very influential person. He worked for a notorious organization, held a top job in the notorious organization, and was the best at everything he did. His superiors were few, but even they couldn't control the mastermind that was known as Jackson Rippner.

When Jackson had first started out for his company, a secret organization with many titles, he had proved his worth by quickly making his way up the chain at the young age of seventeen. He started off by managing simple hits: everyday people, a few business men, and the oh-so common traitorous husband. After only three months having passed from starting the job, he managed to score some of the more complex assignments that provided even higher salaries.

As was to be expected, Jackson had been provided with many difficult cases, but he managed to get out of every single one smoothly and without a scratch. Rarely, he'd have to get his hands dirty for a job, but he always came out on top whenever that situation arose. He'd always be the one to come out alive and collect the paycheck that his clients provided. One thing that came along with being so good at the job was that he had a lot of connections.

That's why he had never even seen the inside of a jail cell after failing quite poorly at the Keefe assassination. Sure, he'd pissed off his client and had been jeered at quite mercilessly by those who knew him, but after a few threats here and some assigned deaths there, he gained back his position of power that he had formerly possessed.

A little over four years had passed since the Red Eye flight and his encounter with Lisa Reisert when Jackson Rippner found himself once again in Miami. He had just successfully finished another job, organizing the death of some important person (he hardly kept track anymore), and was heading to a nearby Starbucks for something caffeinated. He had been up the previous night carefully planning his strategy of how to get his assassins in and the man dead without getting caught. Jackson had been a crosswalk away from the coffeehouse when a familiar blonde attracted his gaze. A familiar blonde who had either put on a few extra pounds or gotten herself knocked up, Jackson noticed as he stared at her protruding stomach.

What was her name? Charlotte? Colleen…? Jackson recalled it as starting with a 'C', but he just couldn't put his finger on the exact name. She was one of Lisa Reisert's coworkers; that was a detail he knew for sure from studying the hotel manager for several weeks before cornering her on the airplane. He knew a lot about Lisa Reisert, but not so much of her little, well, not-so-little friend.

He decided he might as well refer to her as Celia for now.

Celia was stepping out of a nearby bakery with a large shopping bag in one hand and was making a beeline across the street and towards the Starbucks he was also headed to. Not fearing that she'd recognize him for it had been a long time since the Red Eye and the fact that she had never seen his face, Jackson followed her towards the Starbucks and had even assisted by opening the glass door for her.

"Thank you," the not-so-tiny blonde chirped, gazing into his crystal blue eyes. She seemed to be in awe over his appearance. He knew he radiated importance with his freshly pressed suit and his stylish black shoes.

"My pleasure," Jackson replied politely, following her in and closing the door behind them. He noticed the ring on her finger, and concluded that the blonde was, indeed, pregnant.

He trailed behind her towards the large line of customers that were waiting to place their orders. The area wasn't extremely overcrowded; not as it would usually be at seven or eight in the morning when everyone was vying for something to keep them awake, but still rather packed from those who started work at a later time.

"You have beautiful eyes," Celia said as she turned around to face him. They had just moved forward two steps. He had been scrutinizing her knee-length white skirt and the brown top she wore. The shirt's color did not go well with her hair at all, Jackson concluded, continuing to examine her. She wore what looked to be a comfortable pair of brown sandals.

"Thank you Miss…?" Jackson figured it would be the best time to learn her name. He even provided the courtesy I-know-you're-married-but-I'm-trying-not-to-creep-you-out 'Miss' at the end.

"Cynthia; and I actually happen to be married," the blonde said in a kind tone before extending her left hand to Jackson. He, once again, acknowledged the wedding band encircling her finger.

Well, at least he learned her name.

Jackson took her extended hand in his considerably larger one and brought it to his lips. He brushed a soft kiss across her knuckles.

She giggled and withdrew her hand, proclaiming, "What a gentlemen, Mister…?"

"Thomas. Evan Thomas," Jackson supplied, cocking his head to the side and grinning at her, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Cynthia."

He started speaking with her in a light and friendly tone. They spoke of simple topics like what their favorite movies were, how the weather was – common things that she wouldn't be suspicious of. It took about fifteen minutes until Cynthia finally went up to place her order, leaving Jackson to stare at her back with his icy gaze.

He decided since he didn't have any pressing matters to deal with and that it had been just over four years since his encounter with the fiery spirit, Lisa Reisert, he would follow Cynthia to her work at the Lux Atlantic and lounge around after seeing how things were.

Hopefully the woman who had kicked his underestimating ass four years ago hadn't turned into the simpering girl she had once been when he'd first surveyed her prior to their meeting. That'd be a shame, indeed.

Jackson ordered his coffee and watched the blonde struggle with what she was holding. By the time he had paid and received his drink, Cynthia was only just heading for the door. Once again assisting her through the glass opening, he left her trail off a few feet ahead before following behind her.

He took a sip of his coffee. Lisa Reisert was in for a surprise.


	2. Chapter 2

Lisa Reisert was turning twenty-five. She had five more years to go before she had to start worrying about wrinkles, but she still felt the burden of the two-and-a-half decades that rested upon her small shoulders. Nevertheless, her lips were set in a brilliant smile.

Charles Keefe had just called her cell phone, wishing her a happy birthday from him and his family. Lisa Reisert had become good friends with the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security over the last few years. He had even offered her a job proposition to work under him, but Lisa had politely refused it. She was happy with her position as manager of Lux Atlantic; people pleaser twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

Four years ago, after her near death experience with Jackson Rippner and his escape that ensued, Lisa hadn't been able to function properly. She had been scared, of course, and she had good reason to be. A powerful man like Jackson who had promised her that they would meet again was not something Lisa put off to the side lightly.

As days turned into weeks and the weeks slowly formed one month, Lisa finally scolded herself for her behavior. She couldn't let herself fall to ruin because of something in the past. She had, after all, survived. Not only had she survived her encounter with Jackson, but she had survived the rape that had taken place a few months before the flight.

Lisa recalled the day she had decided to stop being afraid and to stop dwelling in past events. It had been one month since the flight and she had been sitting in front of the television at four in the morning with her empty plate of what had once been scrambled eggs. The TiVo she had recently bought allowed her to watch her favorite reruns of Sex and the City that she had recorded.

It dawned on her all of a sudden that she was really wasting her life away. She was watching Sex and the City when she should be sleeping. She was afraid of something that hadn't come yet. She was wallowing in the past. She was ruining her life. There were so many things that she was doing wrong that she couldn't even bring herself cry because even that wouldn't help.

That morning, Lisa got serious. She went out shopping with Cynthia, seeing how it was a Sunday and many people were attending church. After their shopping trip, Lisa and Cynthia headed off to a classy bar and drank the night away. Lisa even ordered a Seabreeze to celebrate her success of getting over everything and getting her life back on track. She even confessed (in her drunken state) to her dearest friend that if Jackson Rippner ever did stop by, she wouldn't even hate him. He was, after all, just doing his job even if he had tried to kill her, but, hey! She was living in the present now. _Besides_, Lisa reminded herself,_ he hadn't come back since, so why should he now?_

And so time passed and the years went by.

Cynthia was fortunate enough to have met a nice man named Robert Norway. He had recently moved from Australia. After two years of dating and, as Cynthia confessed, the greatest sex she had ever experienced, Robert proposed and Cynthia accepted his offer.

Two nights before the wedding, Lisa and Cynthia went to a bar, got drunk, and somehow ended up back at Lisa's place. When they woke up on the day before the wedding, the two girls were both naked and extremely hung over in the same bed. One look at each other and both girls knew never to talk of the moment again.

So the wedding came and went and Lisa tossed the disgustingly ugly bridesmaid dress into her closet, hoping she would never have to see the thing again. It had been the one downside to the beautiful wedding. While Cynthia had worn a beautiful wedding gown, the rest of the bridesmaids were stuck with frilly pink dresses that had completed Cynthia's ideal dream wedding.

It was obvious that marriage wasn't for her, but she was okay with that. She thought kids were cute, but she had never even considered herself one for the family life. Even if the kids were adorable, she could never handle one by herself. If she wanted something cute to look at, she'd get a poster with a basket of puppies on it.

Cynthia was already seven months pregnant and expecting a baby girl in July. She was walking proof that childbearing was something Lisa was surely never going to undergo.

Lisa looked up at the sound of the glass doors opening to see Cynthia struggling her way through with a large plastic bag in one hand and two Starbuck drinks held in place by a cardboard cup-holder in her other hand.

_Definitely never having kids_, Lisa concluded as she examined her pregnant friend. She quickly made her way over to the entrance and helped the pregnant blonde through the door.

Lisa held the door open for her friend and allowed the woman to waddle through before swooping up to pick up both drinks and then snatching the bag from Cynthia's grasp.

"I'm never letting Robert touch me without a condom," Cynthia growled as she patted down her hair.

Lisa laughed and guided the blonde towards the front desk.

"So how's my goddaughter?" Lisa asked as they settled themselves on the two computer chairs behind the front desk.

"I still don't know if she's trying to say 'happy birthday' or if she's trying to break my uterus in half," Cynthia said with a sip from her Green Tea Latte.

Lisa rolled her eyes and patted Cynthia's stomach sympathetically while cooing, "Don't worry sweetie, you can stay at my house when mommy and daddy are -"

"Don't you even dare consider giving Chelsea sex education talk before she's forty," Cynthia replied with a grin.

Lisa stuck out her tongue and then took a sip of her Vanilla Bean Frappuccino. _Yum!_

"So I met this cute guy at Starbucks this morning," Cynthia started, "he had those most beautiful eyes; really polite, too."

"Oh?" Lisa said, clearly uninterested.

"Oh yeah, forgot who I was talking to for a moment," Cynthia winked slyly at the brunette, "Although I didn't have to go out of my way to get you these cookies from that bakery you love."

Lisa's face instantly brightened and she gazed at the box Cynthia had withdrawn from the bag she had been carrying earlier.

"Ah, Cynthia, I am so buying you a Cosmo after my goddaughter is born."

Cynthia grinned at the mention of her favorite drink.

"Happy birthday, Lisa," Cynthia said.

"Thank you, mommy," Lisa teased.


End file.
